India’s Women Win World Cup Opener

Thirush Kamini of India celebrated her century during a match between India and West Indies in the ICC Women’s World Cup 2013 in Mumbai, Jan. 31.

India’s women’s cricket team got its World Cup campaign off to a flying start with a win over the highly-fancied West Indies in Mumbai Thursday, thanks to a terrific batting performance led by Thirush Kamini.

West Indies skipper Merissa Aguilleira would come to rue putting India into bat after winning the toss because 22-year-old Kamini and fellow opener Poonam Rout put 175 runs on the board, the highest partnership by India in a Women’s World Cup.

Rout was dismissed in the 37th over for 72, but Kamini stuck around just long enough to score the first ever World Cup century by an Indian woman, though sadly there wasn’t much of a crowd at Brabourne Stadium to witness the achievement. Kamini, playing her first ODI in nearly three years, was run out on 100.

Captain Mithali Raj’s decision to push the experienced Jhulan Goswami and Harmanpreet Karu up the order paid off as both scored 36 runs from just 21 and 22 deliveries, respectively.

At the end of 50 overs, India had scored 284 runs, a target that proved far too high for the West Indies despite a fearsome cameo by the team’s star player Deandra Dottin, who scored 39 runs from just 16 deliveries, hitting four sixes and three fours. Dottin also took three wickets. But Thursday was India and Kamini’s day.

After bowling the West Indies out for 179 inside 45 overs, India’s captain Raj said it was the perfect start and described the tournament as “definitely wide open.” The Women’s World Cup was first played in 1973 and has only been won by England, Australia and New Zealand.

The other two teams in Group A are England and Sri Lanka, who are playing Friday. India’s next match is against defending champion England on Sunday, and then Sri Lanka on Tuesday.

Group B got underway Friday, with Pakistan taking on Australia and New Zealand playing South Africa. A look at the latest scores suggests that Raj is spot on with her observation that this tournament is wide open, as Pakistan has just bowled favorite Australia out for 175 runs.

It’s very early days, but it looks like the teams from the Subcontinent are using their knowledge of local conditions to expert effect, and that could reap dividends as the tournament progresses.